Tips On Upgrading Your LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great tool used to grow your professional network and find potential job and internship offers. Just like your resume, your LinkedIn needs to be constantly spruced up and polished so that you can show how great of a potential employee you are. Here are a few simple tips on how to make your LinkedIn account look more professional.

1.Get Connected

Unlike Facebook and Twitter, the success of your LinkedIn account isn’t linked to the number of friends or followers you have, but it does help to have connections. Connections equal opportunity, so connect with that person from your dream company. Start building a relationship and who knows where that connection will lead.

2. Recommendations

People say word of mouth is the most influential way to pass information, so why not have potential employers hear how awesome you are straight from the mouth of your previous employers? Well maybe not straight from their mouth, but you can have previous employers or supervisors leave recommendations about their experience with you on your LinkedIn. This gives people a good impression on what type of worker you are and what it’s like to work with you.

3. Professional Profile Picture

A picture is worth a thousand words and nothing says “I have my life together” like a professional profile picture. Make sure you take the time to get all dolled up, stand in front of that camera and give your best “I’m ready for the real world” smile.

4. Bullet Point Job Descriptions

It’s best to be clear and specific about what you did in your previous job positions. If potential employers are glancing through your LinkedIn, you want to make it easy for them to figure out where your experience lies. Simple bullet points of the job responsibilities you had will get your point across better than an essay on all of your daily tasks.

5. Endorsements

So you can moonwalk, speak fluent pig Latin and burp the alphabet? All great skills to have, but if someone doesn’t know you they may not believe you can do it. That’s where endorsements come in. Anyone you’re connected with can endorse you for a skill that you have listed. So hit up your fellow employees, classmates or employers who have seen your skills in action and ask them to endorse you.

Kaitlin Webb is a junior strategic communication major. Follow her on Twitter @KakeWebb1!